Dark Descent
by Gingercookiessnaps
Summary: (For InsanityQueen's Contest) Mana's first meeting with Ryuga wasn't on the best of terms, was it? He put her in the hospital for at least a month after the bey battle. But, hey, some first meetings don't always go swimmingly.


**A/N: **I don't think my last entry for InsanityQueen's contest was seen, and I didn't like it anyway. I wrote it when Mana's personality wasn't really worked through. I have officially worked out the kinks of my dear blader. I hope this will suffice, InsanityQueen!

**Dark Descent**

The arena was silent as they heard the announcement through the ever buzzing air. Blader DJ had announced the opponents for the next round. Mana ran a hand through her hair as she combed the knots out of it. Of course - of course she had to face _him_. Ice Fox's face bolt glowed a light blue as to calm her mind.

"I'm not scared," she mumbled. "Not of him."

_Keep telling yourself that, kit_, Fox spoke. _I'll be there for you. Do not worry about it. _

Mana shook her head as the link between Fox and herself dissipated. She had to concentrate, and Fox was breaking said concentration. She gripped his bey hard as it burst through her skin. She was scared - extremely scared. She took the necklace from around her neck to look at it. It was a locket that her father had given to her. He had said it was her great-great-great grandmother's locket; she cherished it. Mana hid it under her shirt once more before starting toward the stage. The roaring of the crowd appeared as she stepped into the spotlight; she _hated _being in the spotlight.

"Ladies and germs! The next match is going to be intense! Mana's not known too much around these parts, but her Ice Fox packs a punch!"

"Tch, as if it has a chance against me."

Her pupils turned to slits as she stared at him. Her eyes soon narrowed. Ryuga, the _Dragon _Emperor, had insulted her beast. Fox was a he _not _an it. She seethed as a bit of dark energy waffled around her. An opaque black glow appeared underneath her shirt to dispel the energy. Nobody, not even Ryuga, noticed it. His golden eyes turned to her before the widened slightly. If looks could kill -

"Why don't you put that anger to good use?" he sneered as he connected Lightning L Drago to his arm launcher.

"Fine," she snarled, her upper lip being pulled back.

She grabbed Ice Fox from his holder before connecting him to his launcher. The bey pulsated with a light blue light. Fox yipped in the back of her mind; she knew he was ready to put up a fight. She purred in amusement. They moved to their launching positions before launching the beys without Blader DJ's countdown.

"Hey, you're supposed to wait for me …" he whined before sitting in a corner.

Ice Fox danced around the edge of the dish as if it was calculating Lightning L Drago. A black fox appeared to be pacing around the bey. Ryuga watched the bey carefully before looking at the blader.

"Are you not going to attack?"

"What am I? Stupid?" she retorted with sarcasm laced through every word.

Ryuga growled before L Drago barreled into Fox. The bey flew through the air as the crowd gasped. The gasp had Blader DJ out of his sulk corner and onto his feet. He gasped at the air the blue bey was getting from the attack.

"I don't believe it! Ice Fox is still spinning!"

"What?!" snarled Ryuga as he looked at the announcer.

"Don't underestimate my bey, you freak of nature," spoke Mana. "Fox!"

Ice Fox righted itself as blue, crystallized light appeared around the performance tip. Ice began forming on it. Soon enough, the light stopped and the bey started plummeting to the ground. Mana grinned as she spoke some familiar words, "Ice Meteor!" Ryuga smirked.

A clang was heard throughout the stadium as the ice on the performance tip cracked. Ice Fox landed on the edge of the dish as lavender eyes widened in shock. Her attack did nothing. L Drago hadn't even moved an inch. She took a step back as her hands shook. Fox had the advantage of extreme gravity on his side from the hit he took to fly out of the stadium. It did **nothing**. She tripped over her own feet before she fell to the stadium floor.

"Pathetic," came Ryuga's voice. "I thought that I'd at least have some fun. But, what can you do with an ice beast. Water conducts lightning."

Something snapped as his words sunk in. Water conducts lightning. Water conducts … Fox sprung into action as it circled around the tip of the dish. Mana stood, lost her balance, then caught it. Her lavender eyes had lost their luster. She was through with this game; absolutely done. Dark energy cackled around her in small bursts. Even the glow of the locket didn't stop it from seeping out …

"What's going on?" asked Kenta. "Why is Mana radiating dark energy?"

"It's different from L Drago," spoke Madoka. "It's dark energy, but its - pure. That's the best way to describe it."

"Pure," repeated Gingka as he watched.

Ryuga's eyebrow rose as he saw the energy radiating from her. She had a dark bey; it was impossible. L Drago was the only true dark bey in existence. He growled in annoyance, "L Drago, attack!"

"Dark Howl, Fox!"

It seemed as if time stood still as a yipping howl was heard throughout the stadium. Everybody paused as they listened to it. The sound disappeared as quickly as it appeared before black flames burst on Ice Fox. The bey disappeared as L Drago got to its previous position. A second later, the bey slammed into it before disappearing and reappearing over and over. L Drago was getting a beating - at least, that was what it looked like.

"Enough!" The bey broke away from Ice Fox before slamming into it. The flames disappeared as it wobbled before straightening. Mana huffed as she glared at him. Using dark attacks killed her energy, but if she was going to go toe to toe with him, she had to use them.

"That surprised me," he spoke, laughing. "I hadn't expected you to know dark moves."

"Don't place Fox's moves with your own, Ryuga. He's not an evil bey."

The blue bey slammed into L Drago as it grinded against the obviously stronger bey. The light in Mana's eyes seemed to darken even more. She was scared which was why she reverted to using Fox's dark attacks. She was absolutely terrified of her opponent. Her emotion was driving Fox farther into his own doom.

_Watch out! _

L Drago slammed into the side of the dish before bouncing toward the center. A growl snapped Mana out of her thoughts. Her locket was glowing intensely. She looked from it to the dish. A canine-shaped dark energy was protecting Fox. It's tail moved to a neutral position as Mana realized it swatted L Drago away.

_Calm your fear, Mana. It'll cloud judgement and make Ice Fox weaker_.

Blood red eyes looked at her before its head lifted and a piercing howl echoed through the building. Dark energy boomed from the wolf; it even had L Drago smash against the side of the dish once again. Ryuga bit his lip; this thing was familiar - as if it was taught to him.

"Shadow," whispered Mana.

"What?!"

The crowd grew silent as the stared at the stadium. The energy of Shadow had appeared in her form. She was a dark bit-beast. Her body stored dark energy. It was amazing. Ryuga snapped as dark energy poured into him. Shadow winced as she dispelled the energy. It was hard - it was so _tainted_.

"Dark move!"

"Whoa!" came the voice of Blader DJ. "We should probably move people!"

The crowd started to retreat, but the girl in front of him didn't move her ground. He snarled, "Dragon Emperor - Soaring Bite Strike!"

The two dark energy balls appeared in his hands as he thrust them forward to help control L Drago. Shadow let out another howl as she turned into pure dark energy and fled into Ice Fox's face bolt. Mana's eyes sprang to life as the light returned in them. She crossed her wrists over one another before speaking, "I control the dark as well, Ryuga. I harness the pure energy that radiates naturally throughout the world - you harness the tainted. Special move!"

The crowd stopped retreating as they heard her words to him. They turned to watch the end of the match knowing the consequences. A circle of symbols appeared around Mana's feet. The circle grew larger and spread over the field. Fox's rotation increased; soon enough, he disappeared.

"I won't let you use that dark move to harm anybody else! Do you hear that?! Fox, Dark Ravage!"

"What?!" exclaimed Ryuga as he saw the symbols closing around L Drago.

Fox slammed into L Drago from all sides and angles as it kept up the high rotation speed. An opaque, black box surrounded the bey as the dark energy within it began to become chained. She was sealing away his power. She wasn't going to upstart him … not this way.

"L Drago!"

The box cracked as L Drago's energy was released. The dark energy wave blew everything away in its path. Mana tried to stand her ground, but she was blown off her feet as the building gave way. When the dust settled, Ice Fox had stopped spinning before it cracked and fell to pieces. The gang ran to Mana as they saw her situation. She was unconscious. Ryuga huffed as L Drago returned to him. She had him worried … him of all people.

"Mana!" yelled Gingka as he got to her.

Her head rolled as they saw the bleeding from the impact. A piece of rubble had landed on her right leg. She groaned from the pain but didn't wake up otherwise. Ryuga, not saying a word, walked out of the stadium while everybody was quiet.

The crowd soon turned into an uproar.

**A/N: **I hope this one was a lot better than the last one. I do hope I still have time to enter; otherwise, hey everybody, _this _is how Ryuga and Mana met. Not on very good terms, was it?


End file.
